– Hehehekuh……
Dang Eun-bi’s laughter quickly faded into the distance.
The atmosphere that was already uncomfortable grew even more so, and several of the attendants began tidying up and getting to their feet.
The Dang twins also made us an offer.
“That tea you just had probably wasn’t very good.”
“We previously received some fine tea leaves as a gift.”
“And some snacks to go with it.”
“If you don’t mind, would you care to join us?”
Naturally, dessert wasn’t the main point. They clearly had something else they wanted to say.
Most likely, it was related to what had just happened.
And perhaps also to Dang Gyu-young.
So we readily accepted the offer and moved to the Dang brothers’ quarters.
With practiced skill, Dang Il-bi brewed the tea and poured a cup for me.
“They say it’s Longjing cultivated and blended by the Jegal family. What do you think?”
“The flavor is very rich.”
It’s also very familiar.
Sho-sho noona used to give this to me all the time.
I glanced at Dang Gyu-young, and it seemed she was thinking the same thing.
Still, the fact that it was good tea didn’t change, so there was no need to add anything extra.
After sipping tea for a while, Dang Il-bi brought up what had happened during the banquet.
“…Did you know?”
“I tend to be a bit more perceptive than others.”
Even if it had been someone at the elder level or higher who tampered with it, I would have noticed right away. Dang Eun-bi was far below that.
She still had a lot of room to improve.
Though, considering she’s entering next year, she’s fairly competent.
The twins coughed awkwardly and spoke in turn.
“Ahem, we’re sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.”
“We’ll bring that colt-like brat over and make her apologize.”
“As her older brothers, we bear responsibility for not stopping her.”
I replied casually.
“It’s alright. This isn’t your fault. And no harm was done.”
The twins exchanged glances.
“…He certainly seems confident.”
“Considering he drank it even knowing.”
“Without even a hint of hesitation.”
“Is he immune to poison or something?”
It was half a joke on their part, but in truth, I really was immune to poison.
Dang Gyu-young and Seo Ye-in, who shared traits with me through [Bond], were the same.
That’s why I let Dang Eun-bi go ahead even though I clearly saw her tampering with the drink.
Still, it was too early to reveal that, so I simply smiled.
“I do have a fairly useful trait.”
“I figured. May I ask one more thing?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you go out of your way to drink it?”
If you noticed someone had tampered with your drink, the normal reaction would be to replace the cup or not touch it at all.
But I deliberately drank the poisoned tea in plain sight.
From their perspective, it was only natural to wonder whether I did it just to show off my ability or if I had some other intention.
I smiled again and answered.
“When an opportunity presents itself, it’s a waste not to take it. Of course I had to drink it.”
“…You understood even that?”
The two raised their brows.
It seemed they hadn’t expected me to see through the head of the family’s intentions.
“To be blunt, it’s not like she returned in triumph.”
It was closer to her uncle inviting Dang Gyu-young in order to reconnect ties that had nearly been severed.
But while she might be a precious daughter and niece to Dang Gun-ak and Dang Mun-hyeong, the other family members would each feel a different sense of distance.
It was a large clan, after all, and feelings can change over time.
“You could practically say she’s treated like a traitor.”
And Seo Ye-in and I were basically seen as uninvited guests.
Considering the Dang family’s disposition, there was no way they would tolerate someone they found as irritating as a thorn in their eye lingering around for the entire break.
They would want to drive us out as quickly as possible, so they’d make a move one way or another.
Of course, Father Qyu and Uncle Qyu must also have anticipated this, but despite his authority as the head of the family, he couldn’t simply ignore opposing opinions and side with his daughter.
At some point, they’ll have no choice but to leave it to us.
Still, to offer at least indirect support, they held a banquet from the very first day to make things clear.
Who among them bore us goodwill and who harbored hostility.
The Dang twins looked quite pleased.
“We were wondering how to explain it.”
“Since you seem to have grasped everything, this makes things easier.”
“However, we hope there’s no misunderstanding regarding Eun-bi.”
“Poisoning was not carried out under orders but was likely her own doing.”
I nodded.
“That’s what I figured as well. Still, the situation was too fitting not to make use of it.”
The twins spoke in turns again.
“Poisoning was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.”
“What would remain of the Dang family if you took away poison?”
“Still, it was unlikely they’d make a move from the very first day.”
“Eun-bi’s poisoning ended up becoming an opportunity instead.”
“It wasn’t the right thing to do, but it did allow us to show something because of it.”
Anyone with a discerning eye would have noticed Dang Eun-bi’s poisoning.
Not just the twins, but also the head of the family and the elders seated in the place of honor.
And drinking the poisoned cup in front of them served as a kind of warning.
That half-measures with poison wouldn’t work, so if they intended to scheme, they should come prepared with something stronger.
And a warning that they would have to be prepared for the consequences as well.
Concern appeared on the faces of Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi.
“But will you be alright?”
“The main family isn’t so ruthless as to use lethal poisons for something like this, but…”
“You never know with people.”
“Depending on the type, it could prove more deadly than expected.”
At that moment, Dang Gyu-young who had been quietly listening beside us joined the conversation.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve already thought of something.”
In truth, she hadn’t thought of anything at all. We just had poison immunity.
However, the twins seemed to arrive at a completely different conclusion and accepted it as such.
“Come to think of it, Gyu-young was always skilled with poisons.”
“She may have left the family, but there’s no way those skills just disappeared.”
“If anything, she must have improved after graduating from Dragon Slayer Academy.”
“It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate her.”
At this, Dang Gyu-young’s expression turned awkward, but it wasn’t something she could admit to now, so she feigned ignorance and played it off.
Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi continued.
“Another possibility is a spar.”
“They can easily come up with a pretext.”
“For instance, testing skills against a student from Dragon Slayer Academy.”
Of course, this had also been anticipated.
Still, I was curious about their thoughts, so I asked.
“Wouldn’t a spar be a reasonable approach? It could be a good learning experience for both sides.”
And a chance to work on rank while we’re at it.
But the twins shook their heads.
“If it were merely a test of skill, there’d be no issue. But their intentions won’t be pure.”
“They’ll surely resort to some kind of trick.”
“They’ll try to humiliate you one way or another.”
I understood their point, but it still felt like they were being overly cautious.
It’s not as if elder masters would step in against us. At most, it would be recent graduates.
And more likely than not, they’d rely on poison as their primary weapon.
That means we already have the upper hand going in.
At the very least, I didn’t expect to lose easily.
Still, since the topic had come up, I decided to hear them out to the end.
“What would you have us do?”
The Dang twins answered without hesitation.
“For the time being, you should spar with us.”
“If you already have prior engagements, they won’t be able to make a careless move.”
They meant to act as a shield under the guise of sparring.
Of course, the other side wasn’t foolish, so this couldn’t last forever. But it would buy us a fair amount of time.
They added,
“Even given the situation, we won’t go easy on you.”
“It wouldn’t be proper for us as martial artists.”
“Losing to us should be fine.”
“Considering the difference in skill, that’s only natural.”
“And you won’t end up humiliated in the process.”
There was a strong sense of pride in their tone.
They certainly had the right to be confident.
Since they had already graduated by the time Dang Gyu-young enrolled, they were probably about three years older and already seemed to be mid-tier A-rank.
Not quite on the level of Lee Soo-dok or Seo Cheong-yong, but still masters who were nearly at completion.
Sparring with fighters of this caliber would be highly beneficial not only for Seo Ye-in and Dang Gyu-young but for me as well.
There was no real reason to refuse their offer.
So I slowly nodded.
“I’ll take you up on that. I look forward to learning from you.”
Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi looked a bit bashful, though not entirely displeased.
“Of course. I believe you’ll learn a great deal.”
“I can’t say much about teaching, but we’re quite confident in our skills.”
Then they subtly glanced at Dang Gyu-young, as if hoping she would add a word or two of explanation.
No matter how much they praised themselves, it would never sound as objective as an evaluation coming from someone else.
As the president of the Thieves’ Club, she would be well-informed about outside affairs and had likely heard of her cousins’ achievements from time to time.
Picking up on what they wanted, Dang Gyu-young pointed at them and said,
“They even have a nickname. They’re called the Dang Family Twin Heroes.”
The twins suppressed the smiles tugging at their lips and each added a comment.
“Fellow martial artists of the jianghu gave us a rather undeserved name.”
“Still, we consider it something meaningful.”
It was true that, for members of the Dang family, having a title with “hero” in it was rare.
Just being from the Dang clan usually meant starting off with a negative impression from the very first meeting.
Poison and hidden weapons were still seen as symbols of dishonor.
Even so, the fact that they had earned such a title meant they had built a reputation strong enough to overcome those prejudices.
That alone was worthy of respect, so I offered them some flattering words.
“From the moment I first met you, I could sense your fairness and integrity. As expected, the reputation in the jianghu is well deserved.”
“Ahem! There’s no need to praise us that much.”
Despite waving it off, the corners of their mouths were already curling up uncontrollably.
Maybe it’s because they’re cousins, they really do resemble each other in some ways.
After that, the conversation turned fairly light.
– Gyu-young used to love these danggwa sweets. I wonder if she still does.
– I’m curious what’s been happening at the academy.
– Tell us in detail how you became close with Kim Ho.
In the middle of this, I sensed someone outside.
Dang Han-bi spoke as if he could see through the wall.
“Stop standing there and come in.”
The door opened, and Dang Eun-bi slowly walked in.
One hand was resting on her lower abdomen.
She must have already neutralized the poison, but from laughing so much earlier, it seemed it was still aching.
At her brothers’ signal, Dang Eun-bi bowed deeply toward me.
“…I’m sorry.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Dang Han-bi asked sternly,
“Explain yourself. Why did you do that?”
“I just… felt like playing a prank…”
“You’re not a child. Haven’t you outgrown the phase of acting on every whim?”
“…I have.”
“You must always think about the consequences your actions will bring.”
“I understand.”
Only then did Dang Han-bi stop reprimanding her, and Dang Eun-bi quickly slipped into the seat next to Dang Gyu-young and started grabbing snacks.
Still, something felt off.
She singled me out on our very first meeting and tried to poison me twice….was that really just because she “felt like playing a prank”?
It seemed far more likely that I had been her target from the start.
And it didn’t look like she had any intention of giving up yet.
Judging by the occasional challenging glances she kept sending my way.
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